


A Visitor

by xStephyG



Series: The Flower [7]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Actual Puppy Dog Cullen Rutherford, Cullen Fluff, Drunk Cullen, Drunkenness, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 01:53:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7020898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xStephyG/pseuds/xStephyG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evie is awaken by an intruder entering her quarters in the middle of the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Visitor

It wasn’t the slammed door, or the heavy footfalls on the stairs that pulled Evie from the Fade. It wasn’t even the sound of armour colliding with stone, or the mumbled and slurred curses that followed either. Evie could sleep through the return of the Maker Himself. No, it wasn’t the ruckus that was being made by whomever had entered her room uninvited, but the feeling of their eyes boring into her. After nearly twelve years of living in the Circle, being watched every second of the day and night, the presence of eyes on her was one she would never forget. She had never been able to remain in the Fade when the shadow of a Templar loomed in her doorway.

When she first opened her eyes, there was nothing but confusion; this wasn’t her room in the Ostwick’s Circle. Then the memories of the last few months returned and her confusion was replaced with fear. If there was someone in her room in the middle of the night they could only be there for one reason.

Without giving herself time for her fear to overwhelm her as it had a tendency to do, Evie began to call forth her magic. She remained laying under her sheets with her back to the intruder, hoping they would believe her to be blissfully unaware of them. This advantage could give her enough time to get her barrier in place to keep her safe while she ran for help.

However, before she had a chance to do any of this, a voice cut through the darkness of the room. A very familiar, even if somewhat slurred, voice. “This was a terrible idea. ‘Course she’s asleep. Should’ve just waited 'til the morning.”

Rolling over, Evie was just in time to watch Cullen turn back toward the stairs, swaying just enough to be noticeable in the low light of the room. “Cullen?” She whispered, confusion and uncertainty lacing her sleepy voice. “What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

At the same time as Cullen rounding to face her once more, Evie sat up in bed. She allowed her sheets to pool in her lap, paying no heed to the low cut nightgown she wore over her soft, rounded curves. She and Cullen had already shared many moments and things between themselves, even if a night in the same bed had not been one of them just yet. She took little notice of the way his heavy-lidded eyes trailed down her body then back up several times as she regarded him with an anxious gaze. Something must be wrong.

“Has something happened? Are we under attack?” Evie’s anxiety rose with every second that ticked by with no response from her lover. Since the day they first shared a kiss, he had been nothing but respectful toward her and her inexperience in such matters. For him to enter her quarters uninvited in the middle of the night they must be under siege. Most likely by the Red Templars. Or perhaps it was a high dragon. Maybe giants. Or most terrifying of all, bears.

“No attack.” Cullen finally remarked with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Everything’s fine.” He flashed her a toothy grin as he mumbled, an expression Evie had never seen on his face once since meeting him. Not even when they were alone.

“Are you… are you alright? You seem…” Evie trailed off, examining him from her place on the bed. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and now she could see rosy tint staining his cheeks and the tips of his ears and nose. His commonly astute gaze was glassy and unfocused but his grin had not faded in the least.

“I’m just really glad you’re awake. Can I sit?”

Evie examined him closely, her anxiety shifting from worry of an attack to concern for her love’s well-being. She had never seen him like this. It was disconcerting. Nodding slowly, she gestured toward the sofa he was standing next to. However, rather than taking the seat he had been directed toward, Cullen stumbled to the bed on unsteady feet, dropping onto the sheets hard enough to cause Evie to bounce.

Now that he was near, the reason for his odd behaviour became apparent. Along with the scent that she can come to know distinctly as Cullen’s, Evie could smell the faint odour of ale. He stared at her, his eyes trailing luridly over her nearly exposed body, causing her to shrink into herself the barest amount. In a flash her worry for his health was replaced with fear for her own welfare. She was alone with a man over twice her side. A man not in his right mind at the moment. In a room that was far enough from the rest of the keep that no one would hear them. Hear her.

But looking at Cullen, seeing the sloppy grin on his lips, the adoring look in his puppy dog eyes, she was reminded of one very important fact. He was nothing like the Templars that she had heard stories about. He would never hurt someone like that. Especially not her. No matter his state of mind.

Shaking her head at herself and her foolish worries as well as Cullen and his intoxicated state, Evie relaxed against her headboard. “You’re drunk.” She stated, an amused grin blossoming on her full lips. She had never seen Cullen drunk before. It was rather entertaining.

With all the grace one would expect from an inebriated man still clad in full armour, Cullen scrambled along the bed until he was seated next to Evie against the headboard. “Varric and Bull said I needed to relax.” He explained with a sloppy smile still plastered across his face.

“And why exactly did you– What are you doing now?” Evie broke into a fit of uncontrolled giggles as she watched her normally reserved love shuffle around in place. Cullen shimmied and shifted for several moments before finally settling into Evie’s side, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist and his head on her shoulder.

Once he had established his place against her, Cullen lifted the arm that was draped across Evie’s lap and took one her hands in his. Lacing their fingers together, he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb while the hand around her waist traced her hipbone through her lavender nightgown.

A deep blush rose to Evie’s cheeks at the intimate contact. It had been days since they had a moment alone together. Days since she last felt the warmth of his body against hers, since she last breathed his masculine scent, since she tasted his lips, his tongue. Days since he held her and she could hold him. Days that felt like ages. She never wanted it to end.

“What were you saying, Evie?” Cullen murmured against her neck.

Evie shivered under the feeling of his sumptuous lips and coarse stubble gently grazing her sensitive skin. Swallowing thickly, she relaxed into Cullen’s embrace, laying her flushed cheek against the top of his head and finishing what she was saying before. “What, um, what brought you up here tonight?”

A long silence dragged on between them. Long enough that Evie began to think Cullen wasn’t going to answer her at all. Maybe he thought his visit was unwelcome. She tightened her grip on his hand at the idea, running her own thumb along his warm skin just as he did to hers.

Evie had just about given up on learning why Cullen had dragged himself up countless flights of stairs while drunk in the middle of the night. She was content to simply sit with him, basking in his warmth and gentle touch. That was when a barely audible whisper kissed the side of her neck and warmed her heart.

“I missed you.”


End file.
